Abstract
Abstract The water activity (aw) of mould ripened cheeses conforms to the equation aw = 1·0058 − 0·0045[ash] − 0·0107[NPN], with a square of multiple correlation coefficient, R2, = 0·90. This equation was established by multiple regression analysis of data point sets of the variables x (g ash/100 g moisture), y (g non-protein nitrogen/100 g moisture) and z (aw at 20°C) obtained from 30 individual samples of surface-mould ripened soft cheeses of three different varieties, and from 40 individual samples of internal-mould ripened blue cheeses of six varieties. Application of this equation to 30 individual samples of soft cheeses yielded calculated aw values within ± 0·005 and ± 0·010 aw units of the experimental water activities of 73% and 97% of the samples, respectively, while its application to the 40 individual samples of blue cheeses yielded water activities within ± 0·01 and ± 0·02 aw units of their experimental counterparts in 73% and 98% of the samples, respectively.
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